The present invention relates generally to a hermetic compressor and more particularly to small refrigeration compressors having suction mufflers utilized in household appliances. An area of interest in the compressor art is how to construct a more efficient and quieter compressor. The efficiency of a compressor is expressed as an energy efficiency ratio (EER) which is measured by dividing the BTU per hour output of the compressor by the power consumption under standard running conditions. The higher the EER the greater the efficiency.
One area that has received attention is that of heat transfer within the hermetic compressor. Some prior art compressors have suction mufflers that easily transport heat from the compressor unit to the flowing refrigerant therein, thereby reducing the efficiency of the compression cycle. Additional problems with prior art suction mufflers are inadequate flow characteristic and a noise response level that is too large for use in household appliances.